The winners of the Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry were announced at a prize giving event in Penzance on Saturday 26th October.

The judges, Annamaria Murphy, Dicky Souray and Keith Sparrow, were thrilled with the volume and high quality of competition entries this year. The trio read hundreds of poems submitted anonymously from across Cornwall and around the world and have chosen the winners below. We have also shared a link to a pdf of the poems so you can enjoy them, alongside the judges’ comments. The poems are also available to read in the Poetry Room at The Morrab Library. 

The Morrab Library team, The Dennis Myner Trust and the competition judges would like to say a big thank you to all the young people who entered the competition in 2024 and to wish everyone the best of luck with all their future poetry writing endeavours!

“What a wonderful treat to read the many inspired and varied poems sent into the competition. From playful and witty, to poignant and evocative, to downright heartbreaking…the standard was remarkable across the board, and made it very tough to whittle it down to a handful of favourites. Every single writer deserves a huge round of applause!”

Keith Sparrow, Children’s Competition Judge

The prize winners

4-11 age category

1st prize – ‘Another stroll on the Thames’ by Martina Lima Barbata    (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “This poet took us straight there on the stroll, as if we were walking with them.” 

Dicky: “This was a superb example of a poem that relies on fantastic observation rather than something ‘happening’. I also had a soft-spot for the piece as a former Londoner, very well acquainted with the South Bank.” 

Keith: “I’ve spent many happy hours in the exact spot this poem references, so it spoke to me immediately. A poem that transports you instantly to a place and time isn’t always easy, but this managed it well.” 

2nd Prize – ‘Time’ by Charlie    (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “Wonderful. Some lines I wished I’d thought of!”

Dicky: “I was immediately drawn to this delightful poem. The development of the metaphor was a joy to follow.”

Keith: “I love the first verse of this, the idea of laying eggs of New Years and nesting in the Night and Day Tree are wonderful.”

3rd Prize – ‘Friendships’ by Charlotte Viohl   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “A witty but insightful poem about human nature, but also talked about  the global.”

Dicky: “This poem made me smile, particularly with its wry conclusion that captured the sometimes fickleness of disagreement. I also loved the choice of ornament”. 

Keith: “Neat little wordplay, describing a moment we can all relate to. Nice rhyme of ornament and tournament”.

12-17 age category 

1st Prize – ‘The Drowners’  by Charlie Jolley   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna:  “I thought this was an exceptional poem in every way . A snapshot of the state of a nation, a marriage from a young person’s point of view. Beautifully observed.”

Dicky: “This poem was nothing short of exceptional. Its maturity, precision and condensation of wider themes within a domestic microcosm was first class.”

Keith: “An outstanding poem, from the first line onwards. Packed with great observation and a kind of knowing, gentle melancholy that really tugs at the heart. There are so many brilliant lines in this, from the opening ‘Sadness slumps on a sofa in England’s North,’, to ‘sitting in his dole-day chair.’ This writer has a real gift.”

2nd Prize – ‘Ginger’ by Junxin   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “I loved this intergenerational poem about language and belonging.”

Dicky: “This piece captured my attention with its juxtaposition of the ordinary and the profound. It demonstrated a maturity of style and narrative tone.”

Keith: “Very emotive poem, skilfully written with great observations of shopping used as a backdrop for what goes unspoken. I’m assuming the writer isn’t using their native tongue, which makes it all the more remarkable if so? Either way, it’s romantic and quite lovely.”

3rd Prize – ‘Baby Ballet’ by Charley Mack   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “I thought this was exquisite, a small moment observed that talked of epic themes”. 

Dicky: “A bewitching snapshot and what felt like an unusual choice of subject. A carefully layered piece that left you wanting more”

Keith: “Nice, economical verse with a very light touch.”

Highly Commended – ‘Tea’ by Caitlyn Hutchinson   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna – “Beautifully told poem touching on grief and time passing.”

Dicky: “Fiendishly simple and subtle, this was a poem that could not help but stir and move. It left me with an ache.”

Keith: “A neat little poem that had a nice engaging voice. A small moment in time, delicately drawn.”

Highly Commended: ‘Rocks and clay pots’ by Daisy Jackson  (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna: “A wonderful piece of writing about what connects us.”

Dicky: “The first couple of lines of this poem arrested me, and the way I was drawn in was beguiling. Some fantastic images.”

Keith: “Very thoughtful work, nicely put together. ”

Highly Commended: ‘Lost in Music’ by Evie Williams   (PDF LINK TO POEM)

Anna:  “This poem said so much about parent and child relationships, and love.”

Dicky: “A skilful piece that explored nostalgia and family dynamics in an understated way. It felt like a carefully composed collage.”

Keith: “I liked this very much, and it brought back some nice memories of playing music with my sons when they were growing up, and spoke to the importance of that shared music. ”